CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

FLAG:
The national flag consists of four horizontal stripes (blue, white,
green, and yellow) divided at the center by a vertical red stripe. In the
upper left corner is a yellow five-pointed star.

ANTHEM:
La Renaissance (Rebirth).

MONETARY UNIT:
The Communauté Financière Africaine franc (CFA Fr), which
was originally pegged to the French franc, has been pegged to the euro
since January 1999 with a rate of 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro. The CFA
franc is issued in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs,
and notes of 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 CFA francs. CFA Fr1 =
$0.00167 (or $1 = CFA Fr597.577) as of May 2003.

LANGUAGES

Many languages and dialects are spoken, including Arabic, Hunsa, and
Swahili, but Sangho, the language of a group living on the Ubangi River,
is spoken by a majority and is the national language. French is the
official language of government and is taught in the schools.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The republic is divided into 16 prefectures, 69 subprefectures, and the
autonomous commune of Bangui. In 1988, local elections created 176
municipal councils, each of which were headed by a mayor appointed by
the president.

ARMED FORCES

The army, numbering about 1,400 personnel in 2002, had three main battle
tanks. The 150-man air force had no combat aircraft or helicopters. The
paramilitary gendarmerie numbered around
1,000. The nation spent $29 million on defense in 1996, or 2.2% of
gross domestic product.

FISHING

Fishing is carried on extensively along the rivers, but most of the
catch is sold or bartered on the DROC side of the Ubangi. In 1950, the
government began a fish-farming program, and by the end of 1968 there
were almost 12,000 ponds. The 2000 fish catch was about 15,000 tons.